ELEPHANT CORNER: All Eyes On Tampa

The herd is focused on Tampa even if they are still here in Philadelphia. On Tuesday a crowd watched the convention on TV at the state partyâ€™s office on S. 4th Street. Today there will be a convention-watching party at the United Republican Club.

Philadelphiaâ€™s Delegates to the convention include LEWIS HARRIS, DR. SETH KAUFER, CHRIS VOGLER,Â CHRIS VOGLER and WALT VOGLER. STEVE BOC and FRAN Oâ€™BRIEN are Alternate Delegates. BILL PETTIGREW, who was elected to be an Alternate Delegate, was unable to attend owing to health problems. Rumor has it Pettigrew knew for weeks he would not be able to be there, but decided not tell the state party because his replacement would have been selected by the state party and not by MIKE MEEHAN.

COUNCILMAN David Oh spoke on how his military experience guides his life in public service to members of Benjamin Franklin American Legion Post of Union League. Oh is only member of City Council who served in military. Post Commander John Peterson presents him with Appreciation Award. Photo by Joe Stivala

The Republican National Committee canceled the business meetings of the first day of the convention owing to concerns for the safety of participants, as they feared the path of Hurricane Isaac could close in on Tampa. The storm caused some rain and wind but essentially missed the city. The storm hit land near New Orleans and ANN ROMNEY in her speech asked us to keep those in the path of Isaac in our prayers. Tuesday morning the New Majority Council, chaired by RENEE AMOORE, hosted a breakfast for the Pennsylvania delegation. The event included three guest speakers: pollster and University of Pennsylvania graduate FRANK LUNTZ, House SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER and MITT ROMNEYâ€™S son JOSH.

Luntz told the crowd in his polling Romney picked up 4 points in Pennsylvania since selecting PAUL RYAN as a running mate. He believes we can win Pennsylvania and if that happens, Romney will win the White House. Boehner also believes Romney can win Pennsylvania as well as his native Ohio. Boehner stated Romney knows what it takes to create jobs more than any person that has run for President in his (Boehnerâ€™s) lifetime. Josh Romney stumped for his father. He believes his father is not running for President to satisfy his ego but to help move the economy forward. Josh noted he has met many people who regret voting for PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, but has yet to meet someone who regrets voting for JOHN McCAIN.

The delayed start of the convention had a full slate of speakers on Tuesday. The crowd heard from a host of Governors including NIKKI HALEY of South Carolina, SCOTT WALKER of Wisconsin, JOHN KASICH of Ohio, BOB McDONNELL of Virginia and the keynote speaker CHRIS CHRISTIE of New Jersey. The theme of many of the speakers was the need to take the fiscal responsibility and job growth experienced in many states run by Republican Governors to Washington. Every speaker pointed out our entrepreneurs built their businesses, not the government, and it is time for the federal government to dial back the overregulation that is stymieing economic growth.

Gov. Christie stated public officials need to tell the electorate the truth that we will have a rough road ahead of us to fix our economy and fiscal problems of our federal government. He noted government officials are far more effective when they care more about doing something than being something. He believes we can reduce unemployment, contain federal spending and reduce the deficit. He noted that if a conservative Governor in a blue state like New Jersey could balance the budget and cut taxes, we can do so at the federal level. Former US Senator from Pennsylvania RICK SANTORUM discussed his family, in particular his special-needs child Bella, whom the doctors said would not have a life worth living. The crowd roared in agreement when he said they were wrong. He told us of his father who emigrated from Italy as a child and his grandfather who worked as coal miner. Santorum noted his grandfather did not come here for a government handout, as in 1923 the only government benefit for immigrants was freedom.

Ann Romney showed us another side of the sometimes-reserved Gov. Romney. She noted while his fatherâ€™s success allowed him an education that he George Romney did not have, that success was not handed to Mitt Romney but rather that he â€œbuilt it.â€ She stressed something the herd already knows: that Mitt Romney is an incredibly hard-working and capable man. Ann Romney told us we can trust her husband will get the job done.

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